Tropical Cyclone Tomas

Tropical Cyclone Tomas has been downgraded to an ex-tropical cyclone.

The tropical cyclone warning for Fiji has now been removed. Tomas continues to weaken and may be downgraded to a tropical storm today.

A RNZAF C-130 Hercules arrived in Fiji yesterday carrying emergency supplies.

New Zealand will make an initial $1 million contribution to help relief and recovery efforts in Fiji following Cyclone Tomas, Foreign Minister Murray McCully said today.

Bus drivers unanimously opposed any increase to GST at the stopwork meeting of the Wellington Tramways Union yesterday. GST is a regressive form of taxation which hurts those on lower incomes hardest.

Habitat for Humanity New Zealand is poised to help the Cook Islands recover from the devastating onslaught of Cyclone Pat.

A superbly-preserved building epitomising the best of post-war modernist architecture will be auctioned by Bayleys Napier next month as part of their national Total Property portfolio campaign.

Points of interest:

- Clark opposed to mining Doc land: "There are other ways to make money [and] some things are more important than money"

- "Who wants the Martha Mine in the middle of you know Tongariro National Park? Not me"

ANZ has announced it will donate AUD $50,000 to Red Cross in the Cook Islands for relief and recovery efforts and a range of assistance for customers impacted by last week's cyclone.

Red Cross aid workers in New Zealand and around the Pacific are on alert as Tropical Cyclone Rene gathers strength, threatening Tonga, Samoa and Fiji.

10 February 2010 - One month after Haiti experienced the worst natural disaster in its history, Save the Children has reached nearly 300,000 children and adults in the earthquake impact zone.